As expected, events unfolded just as Charlotte had predicted. Within just two or three days, the people of Fontaine had stopped talking about the ring on Furina's hand.
With the Steam Bird newspaper running a special interview to smooth things over, the issue of the ring was easily brushed aside. Even if Furina went out shopping while wearing it, nobody would care, they'd simply treat it as part of her usual attire, just like her hat.
In return, Furina agreed to Charlotte's request and permitted her to accompany them to Fontaine Research Institute to witness the "Ascension Experiment."
Of course, the Institute had also sent invitations to the Steam Bird newspaper, but naturally, invitations varied in level.
An invitation given to high-ranking government officials like Furina and Richard allowed access to far more restricted areas, things that ordinary reporters could never see.
Now, one might ask, if it's secret, how can reporters be allowed to see it?
Ha. If you're allowed to see it, then it isn't really a secret. "Confidentiality" is just an excuse to avoid unnecessary trouble; truly important matters will never be shown to you.
Put simply: any information you can access through normal means is never truly secret.
Normally, Furina wouldn't have attended such a ceremony personally. But Charlotte's words piqued her interest, phrases like "one of Fontaine's hopes for escaping the Doomsday Prophecy."
Such words held irresistible allure for Furina.
For a century, she had been striving to escape the shadow of that prophecy. If this experiment succeeded, it would be the best news she'd heard in a hundred years.
Perhaps then, she might finally relax a little, remove some of her masks.
But perhaps because of too many past disappointments, Furina wasn't holding much hope this time.
Failure was the main theme of life.
"Just like that, the rumors ended?" Furina asked as she looked at today's Steam Bird newspaper. She went to the window and saw that the reporters who had crowded the Palais Mermonia a few days ago were gone.
It was exactly as Charlotte had said, just a fleeting fad.
"Or maybe this was never really a big deal at all. Maybe you were the one overthinking it. Furina, you should try trusting the people you can trust," Richard said beside her.
"Definitely not you," Furina replied casually.
In fact, the matter hadn't been complicated at all, it was Richard who had deliberately made it so.
She finally realized that day she'd been duped by his fearmongering: "If you wear a wedding ring, the people will question your divinity."
The reason? No Archon had ever been married before.
Ha! And no Archon before her had ever starred in a musical or become a celebrity either!
"Sigh… What have I ever done to deserve such distrust from you?" Richard sighed.
Furina looked at his handsome face and thought he was utterly shameless. Did he even hear himself?
"In truth, I've always been on your side."
"Haha, did you learn that line from Clorinde?" Furina laughed.
"Seriously now, don't you plan to reveal even a little, to your most loyal Secretary-General?"
"My most loyal Secretary-General wouldn't spend every day prying into the things I don't wish to reveal," Furina said, folding her newspaper and lacing her fingers together as she fixed her gaze on him.
"Only by knowing enough information can your Secretary serve you better," Richard pressed.
To him, intelligence was the key to victory. Furina's secrecy might easily cause blunders and unnecessary losses.
Such concealment was anything but loyal.
"And even if I tell you, could you keep it a secret?" Furina asked.
"Of course. Surely you have at least that much confidence in me?"
"Good. Then so can I."
Richard was stunned. Seeing his expression, Furina smirked and cheekily threw his own words back at him.
"What's wrong? Do you not even have that much confidence in me?"
"…Naturally, I do, Lady Furina," Richard replied helplessly.
But he couldn't deny it, Furina was a quick learner. She'd already grasped the art of returning a man's words against him.
"In that case, why do you keep asking?" Furina said playfully, savoring her rare moment of triumph.
"Lady Furina…"
"Oh-ho? Still unwilling to give up?" Her tone turned mocking. Then she added, "Very well. Seeing how persistent you are, this God of Justice will grant you a path."
"As long as you can prove to me that you can keep a secret forever, then… perhaps I could tell you. About myself."
Her eyes wavered slightly at the end.
Her rational side told her Richard could never succeed, for no one could keep a secret forever.
But her emotional side… wished he could.
After so many years of acting, she was exhausted. If she had someone to share the burden with… no, even just someone to listen, it would grant her a moment of respite.
And to Furina, such a moment was as precious as a sip of cool spring water to a parched wanderer in the desert.
Richard's expression turned thoughtful. Seeing this, Furina laughed softly.
"You're not seriously considering it, are you?"
"No one can keep a secret forever, not even you, Richard."
Her words sounded like they were spoken to him, but also to herself.
"So Lady Furina still refuses to reveal anything to you?" Lynette asked elegantly, sipping her tea.
"Yes. Which only proves that the secret is truly important… though I've already guessed part of it," Richard said.
"And how do you usually keep secrets, Richard?" Lynette tilted her head curiously.
"Depends on how important the information is."
"And if it's something so important that no one else can know?"
"Then I wouldn't let anyone know in the first place."
"And if someone does find out?"
Lynette rarely pressed, but this time she did.
Richard paused, then answered differently: "There is one kind of person who can keep your secret forever."
"What kind of person?"
"The dead."
Lynette showed no surprise at this answer. Instead, she mused, "So to make Furina tell you her secret… do you plan on playing dead?"
Richard shot her an exasperated look. She'd grown bolder, teasing him more and more since they got to know each other.
Still, that was better than how she'd been when they first met, distrusting everyone.
For someone who had suffered betrayal, trust was hard to give. For Lynette, teasing was its own kind of trust.
If she didn't like you, she wouldn't even waste the words.
"I have my own way. You see, secrecy is just another kind of contract. And in Teyvat, there exists a God of Contracts."
"You mean Rex Lapis of Liyue?" Lynette's eyes widened slightly. "But wouldn't it be troublesome to ask him for help? I heard he hasn't appeared much in recent years. Even the Liyue Qixing rarely see him."
Richard's lips curled in a mysterious smile. The Qixing might not see the Geo Archon, but that didn't mean he couldn't.
A hundred years ago, that Emperor of Liyue had owed him a great favor. Perhaps it was time for that debt to be repaid.
Lynette, seeing his expression, realized he must already have a plan, and likely a direct way to contact Morax himself.
Could it be… Richard's relationship with Liyue was like his with Inazuma?
But she'd heard Rex Lapis always appeared in the form of a man. Surely he hadn't?
Richard, unaware of Lynette's wild speculation, would have rubbed her head in exasperation if he knew what she was thinking.
In truth, he had spent very little time in Liyue, barely a dozen years. In that time, he'd made many friends, though most were mortals. By now, the grass on their graves must be three meters tall.
He also knew a few adepti, though after so many years he had no idea how they fared.
"For a secret, would you really cash in a favor owed by the Geo Archon?" Lynette asked, faintly jealous.
"Why not? Furina is the key to confronting Fontaine's doomsday prophecy. You wouldn't want to see our home drowned, would you? It's not just for her, it's also for you, and for everyone in Fontaine."
Lynette pressed her lips together. 'For me, huh… just words.'
Still, her tail betrayed her, swishing with excitement.
Clearly, she liked hearing it.
"Besides, if I don't use that favor now, I may never get the chance again."
"Why?"
Richard only smiled. He couldn't exactly tell her that even the Geo Archon was preparing to retire, just like the Anemo Archon. That soon, even Morax's Gnosis would be handed over to the Tsaritsa.
Just as Richard had entrusted the Anemo Gnosis to Lynette, to deliver to the Harbinger Arlecchino.
"Anyway, that's still far off. For now, let's focus on what's in front of us. What news do you have about the 'Ascension Experiment' from the House of the Hearth?"
"The experiment will be led by a senior researcher named Edwin Eastinghouse. He's also the most likely candidate to become the next dean of the Institute."
"Any more details?" Richard pressed.
Thanks to handing over the Anemo Gnosis, Lynette's standing in the House of the Hearth had greatly improved. Before, her role as Richard's secretary had been seen as a betrayal.
But after giving the Gnosis to Arlecchino, those voices disappeared. She now had access to much higher-level information.
And everyone knew: what Lynette knew, Richard also knew. The information was "given" to her, but really, it was meant for him.
"This experiment aims to harness the power of Arkhium to lift the entire Institute into the sky, to counter the flooding crisis. Based on current data, it's not impossible."
"However, most of the House of the Hearth consider the plan too radical. In science, rushing often leads to failure."
"I see." Richard neither agreed nor disagreed. His judgment was similar: he didn't believe the experiment would succeed.
Still, even in failure, Edwin's position likely wouldn't be harmed. For scientists, failure was the norm.
Unless the experiment caused a true disaster, like blowing up the entire Institute, his rivals would find it hard to remove him.
But if the Institute really exploded, there'd be little point in political maneuvering anyway.
"Let's hope for good news," Richard said.
If it succeeded, that would be wonderful. If it failed, well, it made little difference to him.
He never pinned his hopes on others.
At last, the day of the "Ascension Experiment" arrived. Furina and Richard came early with Charlotte to the designated viewing site.
It was a hill to the north of the Institute, with a perfect view of the entire complex.
The best place to witness its rise into the sky, and safely distant if something went wrong.
After all, most of the guests were Fontaine's elite. If anything happened to them, the consequences would be dire.
The experiment's host, Edwin Istinghaus, was also present, along with his many assistants, to explain the details and demonstrate how the Institute's funding had been used.
Just before the countdown began, Furina tugged on Richard's sleeve, her voice uneasy:
"Richard… I have a bad feeling about this…"
...
News! It's now on my p@treon. 30 chapters ahead. This will receive daily updates.
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